Trapezoidal fuzzy number methodology for prioritising the predictors of social media addiction

Numerous studies investigate factors contributing to social media addiction, but few explore their significance and interconnections from psychotherapists' and researchers' perspectives. This study used the DEMATEL methodology to examine social media addiction, identifying 50 predictors from literature, categorized into personality traits, comorbid symptoms, and psychosocial components. Data from 115 respondents showed personality traits as the most influential factor. DEMATEL analysis categorized predictors into cause-and-effect groups. Experts assessed direct relationships using Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers (TFN), which were then converted and analyzed. The study compared DEMATEL variants, finding Trapezoidal Fuzzy DEMATEL most effective for evaluating predictor interrelationships.